This resoluton was discussed at the ALEC meeting in Nashville, Tennessee on December 6, 2017.

RESOLUTION CALLING FOR EPA REVIEW OF THE 2009 ENDANGERMENT FINDING FOR GREENHOUSE GASES

WHEREAS, in 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a flawed finding under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles threaten public health and welfare, known as the endangerment finding,

WHEREAS, since the 2009 endangerment finding, observed evidence and research has cast serious doubt on all three lines of evidence,

WHEREAS, estimates of climate sensitivity to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases appearing in the scientific literature since 2009 have fallen steadily below the estimates used by EPA, which contradicts the first line of evidence,

WHEREAS, research has shown that recent changes in temperatures, sea level rise, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are not unusual in the historic and geophysical record, which contradicts the second line of evidence,

WHEREAS, the climate models relied upon by the EPA have forecast twice as much warming as has been reported by satellite, balloon, and even unadjusted surface monitors, which contradicts the third line of evidence,

WHEREAS, the 2009 endangerment finding has been used as the basis for subsequent efforts to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,

WHEREAS, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have consistently stated that regulation of carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act is unnecessary, ineffective, and economically destructive,

WHEREAS, so long as the endangerment finding remains in place, efforts to roll back unnecessary environmental regulations adopted in the name of fighting global warming will likely fail,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the legislature of the State of _______ calls upon the Environmental Protection Agency to reopen and review the 2009 endangerment finding for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Bette Grande is a research fellow for energy and pension issues at The Heartland Institute. Prior to coming to Heartland, she served as a North Dakota state representative from 1996–2014, representing the 41st district.